Until 1980, European record collectors had no home. There was
nowhere for them to find out information, buy and sell their
records, or contact other people who shared their passion for
music and rare vinyl. All that changed when the first issue of
Record Collector appeared in March 1980.

For the first time, collectors could read detailed and accurate
features about their favourite artists. Right from the start,
Record Collector also published complete discographies with
current market values for every record, enabling collectors to
make sure they were getting value for money. Our rapidly
expanding Set Sale and Auction pages also gave readers the
chance to buy and sell rare records, old and new. Our features,
discographies and sales lists have been the heart of the
magazine ever since.

But Record Collector has also been responsible for the rapid
expansion of the market. As collecting became a global
phenomenon, the magazine soon moved beyond its early focus on
50s rock 'n' roll and 60s beat music to cover fast-growing areas
like progressive rock, glam, punk, and even easy listening.

Record Collector also triggered the dramatic boom in the reissue
market, and its highly-respected review section became essential
reading for anyone interested in buying music on vinyl and, from
the mid-80s onwards, on CD as well.

Twenty years after it began, Record Collector is the world's
leading magazine in its field. Besides its features and
discographies, every issue includes hundreds of album, book,
fanzine, video and single reviews, plus exclusive news from the
collecting and reissue scenes. That's why it's essential reading
for everyone who's interested in collecting records, from 1950
to the present day.

Record Collector have only published end of year lists since
2000. Though, they have done a poll each year of the most
collectible artists for much longer.

Dominic Pedler – “I’ve Stuck rigidly to the UK scene, (with the
Ramones’ debut tacked on at the top as the lone US album
acknowledged as such a catalyst of the UK punk scene), hence a
no-show for the Saints’ I’m Stranded. Compilations have also
been precluded, otherwise Elvis Costello, Blondie and Chelsea
might have made the frame. Similarly, a one-album-per-band rule
accounts for the absence of the Clash’s Give ‘em Enough Rope,
the Fall’s Dragnet and Wire’s Chairs Missing”

Classic Albums from 21 Genres for the 21st Century.
(Issue 245 January 2000)

What 20th century music is going to survive in the 21st century?
How will future generations remember the rock, pop, jazz, blues,
folk and country music which has entertained us since the
invention of the gramophone record one hundred years ago? To
mark the dawn of the new millennium, Record Collector has
selected the 20th century’s essential music – 21 genres for the
21st century, each represented by ten classic albums.

* Actually, there’s only 20: Top 100 Lists are Over-rated too.
All text, selectively, taken from the article by RC’s Tim Jones.

Barrett, Syd:
Opel. Need we say anymore? No wonder you don’t even go out for
post.

Beach Boys:
They started out doing bland, half-arsed Chuck Berry ripoffs.
And ended up as one man’s mad, overblown gothic folly.

Bowie, David:
That people still lap it up makes one despair at the herdlike
stupidity of the human race…

Brown, James:
His entire career is based on a need to celebrate the sound of
a man passing a particularly painful stool over the same,
off-kilter riff. Repeated for 30 years.

Byrds:
Pioneers of country rock? Some people say that like it’s a good
thing.

Captain Beefheart:
Aside from a couple of vaguely tuneful efforts, it sounds like
the inmates have taken over the music room and gone to make
plink-plonk while snuffing the contents of the ether cupboard.
Unmitigated, discordant toss.

Clash:
Big Audio Dynamite were more consistent, fact.

Doors:
Today, any pub band in the country will offer up the same kind
of dull, plodding rock that the Doors are reputed to have
excelled at. Ian Astbury does it better.

Dylan, Bob:
Grisly folky nonsense from a man who wrote a clutch of great
songs in the 60s and then spent four decades murdering them…

Fall:
There’s a fine line between being controversial and simply
turgid, and Mark E. Smith stepped over it a long time ago.

Iggy Pop:
Why people endlessly reference Iggy as a punk instigator is
beyond us – garage rock was useless then and it is now. His only
value lies in his looks.

Lennon, John:
Say what you like about Macca, at least he had toons.

Morrison, Van:
Yes, he’s a jazz man now but that doesn’t earn respect.
Retirement might, though. And don’t book him to play your pub.

Prince:
… became a caricature of his sex-obsessed self and, by the late
90s, he couldn’t get arrested. Perhaps he’ll imitate Puff Daddy
next.

Public Enemy:
Recent live excursions into the dreaded jazz-funk field are
best left well alone, as are any of their records – once you’ve
heard one, that’s more than enough.

Sex Pistols:
Bollocks. Even if, by some stretch of the imagination, the
Pistols had made anything other than sub-standard run-through
rock. And the recent tours are worse than pantomime.

Smiths:
Stick the flowers where they won’t grow and cheer up, you
miserable bastards.

White Stripes:
You’re nothing but flavour of the month, kids - let’s see how
popular you are in 2010, shall we.

Young, Neil:
One good album per decade. I mean Landing On Water. Why?

Zappa, Frank:
… the vast majority of mad Frank’s artsy meanderings are
interminable tedium bested only by some of his live shows – a
sonic Belsen, with xylophones delivering the sonic blow.

…here’s the Record Collector guide to the most influential,
important and, let’s be honest, just downright greatest singles
to emerge from this sceptered isle during the classic
psychedelic era. The rules of the game are few: each act is
represented no more than once, only British single releases have
been considered, and all recordings were made by UK based
performers. In chronological order.

See Record Collector’s Rare Record Guide for more information,
(& before you get too excited!). I’ve had to keep the details
here to a minimum. These make a lot of money for a reason: they
are very rare. So please check!

“From giant names like The Beatles, Rolling Stones and Pink
Floyd to cult heroes like Factory, Andwella’s Drea and Arzachel,
from flower power to baroque pop, from folk-psych to freakbeat,
here are the records which defined Psychedelia in all its
kaleidoscopic diversity.” David Wells

All the entries are singles, unless indicated. Chronological
order from 1966 to 1970. This is a list of the greatest UK
Psychedelia, Jimi Hendrix is awarded honorary Brit status, due
to his recording here and having, at this time, a UK backing
band!

“From Rock Around the Clock to Reet Petite, from Mystery Train
to Move It, from Summertime Blues to Shakin’ All Over, here are
the records that changed the world. Drawing on his vast record
collection Bob [Solly] traces the story from 1950 to 1960, from
its obscure roots in R&B and country through to
multi-million-selling success”.

Chronological order of merit. All U.S. issues unless indicated.
All are single (45rpm or 78rpm records), unless indicated
otherwise. Values for each record, as of October 2005, were
given for each. As the list is by merit, and not by value, I
haven’t included all the prices. Though, just out of interest,
I’ve included any judged to be worth over £100. These Price
Guide values are just that – a guide!!

Chosen by musician & leading psych collector Erik Lindgren: “My
criteria for this list was to pick the most imaginative,
excessive & creative songs released as 7”s in the latter half of
the 60s. Extra points were given for sophisticated composition,
dynamic production & colourful lyrics. Unique musical textures
such as backwards sounds, theremin/electronics, heavy
echo/reverb & other interesting sonic effects helped in their
rank.”

I’ve given the prices of any of these that were rated, in the
original article at over $100. Where this is the case, I’ve also
given the label. Don’t get excited until you’ve checked the
details with an expert! And prices are for records in excellent
condition.

• The City – Now That Everything Has Been Said
• Deradoorian – The Expanding Flower Planet
• The Knickerbockers – The Challenge Recordings
• Larry’s Rebels – I Feel Good: The Essential Purple Flashes Of
Larry’s Rebels
• The Magnetic Mind – Is Thinking About It
• The Mind Garage – A Total Electric Happening
• Odessey & Oracle – Odessey & Oracle
• Pond – Man It Feels Like Space Again
• The Spoils Of War – The Spoils Of War
• Susan James – Sea Glass
• Various – Curiosity Shop